Power inverters convert power from a direct current (DC) power source to an alternating power (AC) output.
The input voltage, output voltage and frequency, and overall power handling depend on the design of the specific device or circuitry. The inverter does not produce any power; the power is provided by the DC source.
A power inverter can be entirely electronic or may be a combination of mechanical effects (such as a rotary apparatus) and electronic circuitry. Static inverters do not use moving parts in the conversion process.
An inverter can produce a square wave, modified sine wave, pulsed sine wave, pulse width modulated wave (PWM) or sine wave depending on circuit design. The two dominant commercialized waveform types of inverters are modified sine wave and sine wave.
There are two basic designs for producing household plug-in voltage from a lower-voltage DC source, the first of which uses a switching boost converter to produce a higher-voltage DC and then converts to AC. The second method converts DC to AC at battery level and uses a line-frequency transformer to create the output voltage.
An inverter converts the DC electricity from sources such as batteries or fuel cells to AC electricity. The electricity can be at any required voltage; in particular it can operate AC equipment designed for mains operation, or rectified to produce DC at any desired voltage.
The power inverter can be used as an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). The uninterruptible power supply (UPS) uses batteries and an inverter to supply AC power when mains power is not available.
The power inverter can be used as an electric motor speed control. Inverter circuits designed to produce a variable output voltage range are often used within motor speed controllers. The DC power for the inverter section can be derived from a normal AC wall outlet or some other source. Control and feedback circuitry is used to adjust the final output of the inverter section which will ultimately determine the speed of the motor operating under its mechanical load.
Power inverters are subject to faults. These faults can cause damage to the equipment powered by the power inverter, damage to the power source (battery, etc.), and damage to the power inverter itself. Examples include incorrect input voltage, overload in the power consumption, over temperature, a short circuit, and the like. Additionally, the operator is commonly locating in a position to view the power inverter. Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for a device that enables an operator to be aware of operating parameters of the inverter and/or to be alerted when the inverter is subject to an adverse operating condition. This could include a capability for remote notification to the operator or another monitoring party.
Power inverters commonly include a power switch. Power inverters can be installed within a circuit comprising a system power switch, such as a vehicle, which governs the supply of DC power to the power inverter. The system power switch can control operation to the power inverter. This configuration would require the user to actuate two switches to obtain a power output from the power inverter, more specifically, the system power switch and then the power inverter switch. Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for a device that can enable the user to reduce the number of switches that need to be actuated by the user to obtain power from the power inverter.
When installed in a mobile application, such as a vehicle, or more specifically, a commercial vehicle, it may be desirable to track the use of the vehicle.